Cartilage Sticking out After Nose Job? (photo)

Question

I had open rhinoplasty 5 months ago. The first months my nose looked fantastic, but over the last 2 months a piece of cartilage has become bigger and visible in the tip. It is only on one side and makes my nose look longer than before. Secondly, in the last 2 months, the dorsal hump (which was removed) seems to have increased again. The cartilage in the tip is a bigger problem for me. Is this likely to remain? Do I need a revision? I have thin skin, but I do still feel some stiffness in the tip.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Tip irregularity at 5 months is not uncommon, and the tip is the last area from which swelling is to part.  Give yourself the full year.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Remus Repta, MD · Answer

Hello Fiona,

	Thank you for the question and the photos.  Over the last 5 months the swelling in your nose has subsided dramatically and the body has healed the surgical area by depositing collagen.  This process has resulted in the skin being closer to the cartilage and perhaps some shifting of the cartilage underneath.  I would have your plastic surgeon take a look at you to see if this is what he/she was expecting.  You will likely have to wait longer for full healing to occur before considering a revision if needed.

	All the best,

	Dr. Remus Repta

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

Revision as best done at a year postoperative. So you have another 7 month to allow further hireling.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

What you are experiencing is the normal postoperative course for rhinoplasty...an evolving and changing nose that takes many months to settle into its final result. You are now seeing things that were not there initially as the overlying skin shrinks down around the changed underlying framework. You need to wait a minimum of 6 to 9 months after your surgery to let the nose stabilize and reveal the final nuances of its shape. At that time, the consideration of a revision may be considered if the issues you are seeing now remain or others become apparent.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

It is difficult to see the lump that you mention in the photo views. It is probably best to be seen in person to see it better.  At 5 months you still want to wait until things soften more.

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